The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Monuments and How They Were Built
Thames & Hudson | 1999 | ISBN: 0500050961 | English | 312 pages | PDF | 77.2 MB
How were the ancient wonders of the world built? How many people did it take to build the Great Wall of China and the Sphinx at Giza? This text seeks to answer such questions, examining these spectacular feats of engineering and celebrating the achievements of the builders who worked without the aid of modern technology.
Donald R. Prothero, “The Story of Life in 25 Fossils: Tales of Intrepid Fossil Hunters and the Wonders of Evolution”
ISBN: 0231171900 | 2015 | EPUB | 408 pages | 38 MB
Every fossil tells a story. Best-selling paleontology author Donald R. Prothero describes twenty-five famous, beautifully preserved fossils in a gripping, scientific history of life on Earth. Recounting the adventures behind the discovery of these objects and fully interpreting their significance within the larger fossil record, Prothero creates a riveting and enlightening overview for anyone interested in the history of life on our planet.
The twenty-five fossils lovingly portrayed in this book catch animals in their evolutionary splendor as they transition from one kind of organism to another. We witness extinct plants and animals of microscopic and immense size and thrilling diversity. We learn about fantastic land and sea creatures that have no match in nature today. Along the way, we encounter such fascinating fossils as the earliest trilobite, Olenellus; the giant shark Carcharocles; the “Frogamander” and the “Turtle on the Half Shell”; the “fishibian” Tiktalik; the first bird, Archaeopteryx; the walking whale Ambulocetus; enormous marine reptiles and the biggest dinosaurs known; the gigantic hornless rhinoceros Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal that ever lived; and the Australopithecus nicknamed “Lucy,” the oldest human skeleton. We learn about the scientists and adventurers who pioneered paleontology and the larger intellectual and social contexts in which their discoveries were made. Finally, we are told where to see these splendid fossils in the world’s great museums. Ideal for all who love prehistoric landscapes and delight in the history of science, Prothero’s new book will be a treasured addition to any bookshelf, stoking curiosity in the evolution and life on Earth.
One Chord Wonders : Power and Meaning in Punk Rock By Dave Laing
2015 | 224 Pages | ISBN: 1629630330 | PDF | 7 MB
Originally published in 1985, One Chord Wonders was the first full-length study of the glory years of British punk rock. The book argues that one of punk’s most significant political achievements was to expose the operations of power in the British entertainment industries as they were thrown into confusion by the sound and the fury of musicians and fans. Through a detailed examination of the conditions under which punk emerged and then declined, Dave Laing develops a view of the music as both complex and contradictory.